asked the Minister for Industry, Trade, Commerce and Tourism if, in his capacity as Leader of the House, there are any proposals to: (a) extend the time available for questions each week; and (b) arrange the time period for each Minister on a regular basis.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Question Time.
8.
There are no proposals at present to extend the time available for questions each week. In this regard, I would suggest that if modifications to existing arrangements are necessary, what is required is not a lengthening of the time available at present but that better use should be made of the time available.
In relation to the second part of the Deputy's question, I assume he is referring to a system whereby a specified time would be allocated to each Minister on a rota basis.
Prior to the summer recess last year, both the Government Chief Whip and I suggested to the Dáil Committee on Procedure and Privileges that a daily rota system whereby each Minister would be allocated a fixed day for answering questions should be introduced on an experimental basis.
The proposal provided that questions remaining unanswered on a particular day could either go for written reply or be held over until the next time the same Minister answered questions. The proposal also provided that when a question is for oral reply, the Member would not be allowed to convert it to a written reply earlier than on the day on which the Minister was due to answer oral questions.
Following consideration of the proposals by the committee in September 1983 it was stated that the main Opposition party would be introducing, in the session commencing in October 1983, an arrangement designed to regulate the asking of parliamentary questions by its members. Pending an assessment of the operation of this arrangement CPP agreed that the introduction of the proposed rota system be deferred.
I thank the Minister for his very full reply and the spirit behind it. Is he aware of the extent to which Question Time is no longer adequate, that this very valuable weapon for backbenchers is now only a pale shadow of what it might be and that the rightful demand of backbenchers for more information is being stymied by the present system? For example, the question the Minister has just answered was put down in the middle of February. Questions put down in January are still around No. 200 of the Order Paper. Clearly this is a matter of urgency. Will the Minister undertake to speak to the Opposition with greater urgency to see if some improvements could be made, going even further than those he has outlined?
Obviously there are limits on the total availability of parliamentary time because Estimates and legislation have to be considered also. The system proposed by the Minister of State and myself would have involved each Minister coming into the House a guaranteed once every 15 sitting days for one hour. That would mean there would not be the long delays mentioned by the Deputy. On the other hand, once the Minister came to the House he would come for only one day and would not be here for an indefinite number of days. The proposed system would obviously make it easier for everyone to plan their time because they would know when they would ask or answer the relevant questions. Thus, they could plan their diary a considerable time in advance and it would probably improve the quality of the contributions on both sides. However, I have indicated what happened with regard to that proposal. I would be quite happy to reactivate it if there was a viewpoint on the part of the Opposition that that would be helpful. I would be reluctant to propose the imposition of a system against the strong objection of the Opposition party. That would not be in the spirit of the reforms we are trying to introduce. However, there may well be a change of heart on that point.
I hope I will not be misunderstood when I say the way the supplementary questions in this case were asked and the generosity of the Minister in replying is an example of why Question Time will not work in the House because it is not being used as Question Time but rather as a mini-debate on policy on each question.
I did not ask a question.
I thank the Minister for his generosity. What we are asking for really is more of the same.
In view of the fact that there are 500 questions to be answered between now and the end of the session, will the Minister consider, after having the necessary consultations, allocating one full day between now and the end of this session to deal with questions, where all Ministers would be here to answer as many questions as possible in an orderly fashion?
I will consider that.